How to deal with anxiety in the workplace

Dr James Mills, a stress consultant in Jamaica, says anxiety is one of the most common expressions of mental stress and a possible indicator that a larger problem could be looming on the horizon.

"Anxiety is the fear of something. There is a limbic system in the brain that controls our emotions. It is this part of the brain that is affected by anxiety and weighs us down when we fear something," Dr Mills explained.

Unfortunately, there are no manifested signs of an imminent anxiety attack. Our fears can peak within minutes and lead to this frightening experience.

Anxiety attacks vs panic attacks

Oftentimes, an anxiety attack is confused with a panic attack. Panic attacks are extreme cases of anxiety attacks. Both, however, have similar symptoms and the only way to differentiate between the two is the level of severity.

"Trembling, racing of the heart, sweating, dizziness, feeling weak and shortness of breath are some of the common symptoms of both anxiety and panic attacks," Dr Mills said.

Tips to remedy anxiety

"There are no tablets out there to remedy anxiety attacks. And even if you use tranquilisers it won't get rid of it completely; it will return," Dr Mills told Flair. According to Dr Mills, the best way to deal with anxiety begins with us thoroughly assessing ourselves and ends with us changing our mindset. Here are a few tips to manage anxiety:

- Identify the trigger. It's crucial that we identify the factors that are causing us to stress, which leads to anxieties. The trigger may not be work-related but could be a pre-existing home situation that has begun to affect us at work. This is the only way you will be able to get rid of it.

- Tackle the trigger directly. Once we have identified the triggers, then we can make the necessary adjustments to our life situations to ease the burdens we are challenged with. Or device strategies to help us relax and rid ourselves of thinking of and fearing things we at times cannot control.

- Manage stress levels. Exercising regularly is one of the greatest things we could do to maintain our health, especially mental health. Yoga is a perfect option here. Eating healthy and talking about our problems also help to reduce our stress levels. And if all fails, the best option is to speak with a stress consultant.

- Change your mindset. Our frame of mind has a great impact on what happens in reality. It's best to think positively about our situations than negatively.